Place of residence: Carson City
Occupation: Economist, Nevada Public Utilities Commission (since 2001)
Age: 57
Contact information:
RonKnecht@aol.com
(775) 882-2935
Fax (775) 882-6348
Incumbency: Candidate for office
Education: MS and additional graduate course work, Engineering-Economic Systems,
Stanford University, 1989
JD, University of San Francisco Law School, 1995; Senior Editor, USF
Law School Forum, 1994-95; Founder, USF Federalist Society Chapter, 1994; Advisor to it, 1997-2001 BA, Liberal Arts & Sciences (Major: Math; Minor Physics/Chemistry), University of Illinois; additional undergrad and graduate work in engineering, economics, mathematics & physics, including Civil Engineering masters project on power generating economic; Research Engineer, Research Associate
and other positions at UIUC, 1970-77
Engineering registration by examination, CA, 1986; EIT, IL, 1974
Taught "Legal and Regulatory Aspects of Telecommunications" for grad students at Golden Gate University Ð Sacramento, 1991
Organizing Committee, Rutgers Center for Research in Regulated Industries Western Conference, 2005-06
Record of service: Nevada Assemblyman, District 40 (2002-04; 1 regular and 2 special sessions)
Taught "Managing Your Life and Family Finances" for families and homeless
folks for FISH, 2005 (twice)
Carson Anti-Meth Task Force Public Awareness Committee, 2005-06
Chairman, Carson Water & Sewer Utilities Task Force, 2002-03
Kiwanis Board & Scholarship Committee member, 2002-present
Carson Navy League member, 2004-present
Co-organizer, Waterfall Fire "Thank You" Event for First Responders, 2004
Helped and supported numerous local charitable activities, 2001-present
Honors: Outstanding student ratings as WNCC/CC Economics Instructor; 13 of 16 students in class gave perfect or near-perfect ratings (anonymously) in
most recent term
"Best Paper in Power Economics" Award, American Nuclear Society, 1978 Ð
for UIUC masters project paper that found nuclear power uneconomic.
President, National Science Foundation Summer Advanced Math Class, St.
Louis University, 1966
Endorsed by Assembly Minority Leader Lynn Hettrick; also by conservatives:
Nevada Concerned Citizens (NCC), Citizens Outreach PAC (COPAC) and
Liberty Watch
Endorsed for Assembly re-election by National Rifle Association, 2004
Platform: Having a five-year-old daughter causes me to care deeply about the future of higher education in Nevada. I want Karyn and all Nevada's children to have here the outstanding educational opportunities with which I was blessed as an undergrad at Illinois, in grad school at Stanford and in professional school at USF Law. I want to help build an efficient, effective and outstanding higher-ed system that is accountable to all Nevadans.
All my adult life, I've been involved in higher education and public service, spending significant time on campuses in each decade since the 1960s as a student, teacher and researcher. As a part-time college instructor and full-time working professional, I know first-hand the challenges and opportunities of higher education in Nevada. With a long record on numerous public, service and business boards and commissions, I bring useful skills and knowledge to help build our colleges, universities and research institutes.
As a Regent, I'll work to:
n Improve WNCC, promoting expansion to better serve Douglas, Lyon and Storey counties
n Keep the University of Nevada growing in national respect and developing graduate programs
n Promote the internationally renowned Desert Research Institute and launch the Health Sciences Center
n Develop more and better vocational/technical education programs at WNCC and our other community colleges
n Effectively tackle the problem of large-scale requirements for remedial English and maths instruction for incoming students
n Foster excellence in the three higher-ed missions: teaching, research and public service
